Heavy TO Returned to Downsview Park and This Time – Things Got a Bit Messy

The last concert of our 2012 concert season was HeavyTO. We have been very lucky with the weather this year, it has been dry and warm for each of the concerts we have covered – with the exception of  Deamau5’s set at last week’s VELD Festival – but this time it rained leading into the concert weekend and it continued raining on and off all weekend long.

The weather didn’t seem to get the crowd down though – they ’embraced’ the mud and the mud embraced them right back. By the end of the day we were covered in mud but had captured some images that will certainly set this concert apart from the rest when reflecting on the concerts of 2012.

At the end of it all, after the storms had passed, this one even featured a rainbow.

The VELD Music Festival Was – HUGE

This past weekend the VELD Music Festival was held at Downsview Park, and as official photographers we were there covering everything from the bands – with Deadmau5 and AVICII the headliners on Saturday and Sunday respectively – to the massive crowds, vendors, and well… the rain that left its mark on not only the throngs of mau5-heads in Saturday’s crowds but also on the not-so-waterproof equipment of the man himself, Deadmau5.

We have covered every concert and music festival held at Downsview Park this year, and with the new event space layout it has really become a prime concert venue.  We have to compliment the Park (and not just because they hire us for these events… ahem) but because we’ve watched Downsview Park evolve over the past 4 years and have witnessed the planning that has gone into creating the kind of event space that can handle events of this magnitude. The events at Downsview Park are well orchestrated and from our perspective (which at times is several storeys into the air – see photos at the end of the strip above) well laid out.

As a whole, the crowd at VELD was the happiest crowd we have experienced this year. And why not?? With a full spectrum of vibrant colours, flashing lights, seamless transitions between pounding beats, and toys of all sorts (who didn’t encounter the seemingly ubiquitous penguin on a stick?) together turning the park into a veritable playground – you really have to love an event like this.

Edgefest 2012 Headliner – Billy Talent

The headliner at Edgefest this year was Billy Talent, fronted by Ben Kowalewicz. Ben is one of the most animated and intense performers out there – so animated in fact that we decided he deserved his own blog entry.

So here he is: Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent, in all his rockstar glory.

It Was Huge. It Was Dry. Edgefest 2012

For the 5th year in a row (accounting for the hiatus the festival took in 2010) we covered Edgefest at Downsview Park. This particular Edgefest was the biggest one the park has ever hosted, due in large part to the space made available by the changes in landscaping that the park has gone through in the last year to create an event area that is impressively malleable to a range of production types, but is perfect for this type of multi-stage concert set-up.

After several years of cold, rainy, and mud-soaked Edgefests – and the threat earlier in the week of the same this year – we were very happy when Saturday arrived with blue skies and abundant sun.  The concert goers who managed to stay hydrated and layered in sunscreen (you could smell it, thick in the air) evidently had the kind of concert experience they will remember for years to come.

Probably.

Well, MOST of them will remember it…

Above: evidence of the bands, the crowds, the blistering heat of summer – and what happens when it all comes together in one awesome, purpose-built venue.

The Toronto Waterfront is Even Friendlier This Summer

If you happen to visit Toronto’s waterfront this summer chances are you will eventually run into these lively, musical ambassadors.  These singers are part of an initiative by the Waterfront BIA to help make the area lively and welcoming. As well as treating waterfront visitors to acapella versions of Beach Boys hits the group can also offer assistance, directions, and even suggestions on activities or dining options in and around the waterfront area.

We do a lot of work with the Waterfront BIA and so when the time came to plan a photo shoot to launch the program we were excited at the prospect of getting to use the waterfront itself as a backdrop, there are just so many options. In the end we settled on a few locations that brought to life the nautical theme of the waterfront and gave a visual to the Waterfront BIA’s slogan “Its Better By The Water”

We would encourage you to visit the waterfront this summer and discover for yourself just how much better it is. For more information on the initiative, click here.

Doc Severinsen With the Toronto All-Star Big Band

This past weekend we shot a couple of events, but by far the most visually stimulating event was Doc Severinsen and his brilliantly coloured leather pants.

Most of you will recognize Doc from his days leading the orchestra on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. On Sunday he joined the Toronto All-Star Big Band at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre and true to form stunned with not only his trumpet mastery – but his vibrant clothing. Doc started the show in orange leather pants and a black sequinned jacket, only to change later into pink leather pants with a patterned jacket in an even brighter shade.  I think I’d call it… fuschia.

None of this discussion of his clothing however, should lead us away from acknowledging that at 84 years of age Doc still performs regularly and is a first-class musician with an impeccable ear – watching him piece together the final ‘sound’ of the collaborative pieces during the sound check was fascinating.

Almost as fascinating as seeing an 84 year old man, standing on stage, absolutely OWNING his bright pink leather pants.

It’s Winter Magic Time – Yonge Dundas Square is Lit for Illuminite

Last Saturday we covered the Downtown Yonge BIA‘s Illuminite event. This event is part of the BIA’s Winter Magic Series and this year featured musical performances by The Samba Squad as well as a musical and acrobatic show choreographed by Circus Orange. For the past several years Circus Orange has been responsible for putting on the pyrotechnic show that culminates in the lighting of the Yonge Dundas Holiday Tree.  They do a spectacular job – no one knows how to create a pyrotechnical sensation in Downtown Toronto like Circus Orange – and this year, they proved it again.

Concert For Japan at Downsview Park

We shot our last concert of the summer on Labour Day weekend.  The Concert for Japan featured two days of entertainment and live music and even offered concert-goers the opportunity to ride a zip-line across the main concert area or have a drink at a bar suspended from a large crane.  That’s something we’ve never seen before!

We met up with Darrin Pfeiffer, at the concert – some of you may know Darrin from his days on 102.1 The Edge.  We’ve missed hearing him over the airwaves and hope that he will be back on the air soon. Right now Darrin is spending his time drumming for both ska punk band Goldfinger, and Canadian rock band, The Salads. He also manages and produces punk bands under his own record label, High 4 Records. Darrin was a lot of fun to hang with (and to shoot) and we think that we could do some awesome work with Darrin (hint Darrin – hint, hint) on the promotional material for the bands on his label.

Most importantly we hope that the concert was successful for the promoters and that the money raised will benefit the people of Japan, where relief efforts will most certainly continue for a long time to come.

Edgefest Returns to Downsview Park

After a hiatus in 2010 Edgefest returned to Downsview Park last weekend.  This is the first DRY Edgefest we have covered, as both the 2008 and 2009 Edgefests were mudfests after experiencing torrential rain. For those of you who attended the 2008 or 2009 festivals, refresh your memory with our coverage HERE. This year the weather was perfect and the bands –  with headliners Rise Against following sets by A Perfect Circle, The Weakerthans, Tokyo Police Club, Arkells, and The Reason – were loud.  Some photos of the bands and the crowds, above.

The Many Faces of Gord Downie – The Tragically Hip Concert – July 1, 2011

There has been some interest in seeing more shots from the Canada Day Tragically Hip Concert at Downsview Park so we thought we would post a few photos of the many (and very animated) faces of lead singer Gord Downie.